Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Damien Montague's offseason work raised his level, inspired New Bedford High teammates

Tuesday

Jul 1, 2014 at 12:01 AMJul 1, 2014 at 5:26 PM

Damien Montague set the stage for this season's success on the tennis court playing at the Lakeville Athletic Club in the fall and winter.

Ed Collins

Damien Montague set the stage for this season's success on the tennis court playing at the Lakeville Athletic Club in the fall and winter.

"I wanted to get better and I knew that I had to start playing a lot more," said Montague, a 5-foot-11 senior from New Bedford High School who's been named The Standard-Times Boys Tennis Player of the Year. "I helped myself by playing against a lot of different players. Kids with different strengths and weaknesses that made matches a learning experience."

New Bedford coach Bob Ryan, who is stepping down after 31 years at the helm with the Whalers, said Montague picked up a lot of experience while hitting some bumps in the road as a junior.

"He was .500 last year at first singles and that didn't sit well with him," Ryan said. "He's a tough competitor who doesn't like to lose, and he decided to do what he had to do to make himself a better player in the offseason."

Montague improved all over the court, and his hard work allowed him to step up his game and be more competitive against everyone he played while putting together a 17-1 record in the regular season.

"I worked on my footwork and that helped me get a lot quicker on the court," Montague said. "I was able to get to more balls and put them away at the net, and my first serve got a lot better."

Montague won two out of the three matches he played in the State Individual Singles Tournament to cap a final season that left him very satisfied.

"I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off," Montague said. "I played with more confidence in all my shots and I wasn't afraid to let it all hang out on my first serve."

Montague was able to put more topspin on his serves this season, and he came back hitting the ball a lot harder. His second serve got a lot better and he was able to cover more of the court with his new-found agility and quickness.

"I'm happy with the way my season went. It felt good taking the court knowing that I was going to be tough to beat. I wanted to put my name on the map and also help my team improve," Montague said. "I'm really proud of my teammates. They came back better players and we helped each other the whole season. We ended up a win short of making the sectional (team tournament) and that says a lot about the progress everybody made."

WHY HE WAS SELECTED: Made some big strides in the offseason and became a more complete player. Won most of his matches in straight sets and came out on top against some of the best players in the state. Played a leadership role working with his teammates to help the Whalers improve from 2-16 a year ago to 8-10 this season.

KEY STATS: Went 17-1 in the regular season and 2-1 in the State Individual Singles Tournament to finish 19-2 overall. Was named a Big 3 Conference All-Star.

MVP MOMENTS: Wins over Cape Cod Academy's Anthony Diana (6-4, 6-2) and Dartmouth's Max Lindblom (6-0, 6-4) in the State Individual Tournament, where he dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Barnstable's Sonny Bisazza in the quarterfinals.

DARTMOUTH COACH JIM MCGONIGLE: "Damien improved a lot this season. His serve got a lot better and he moved around the court better. He was mentally tougher and played with more confidence. Playing a lot in the offseason really helped him develop his serve and his play at the net."

NOTES: Dartmouth's Chris Ouellette was the only player to beat Montague during the regular season. Montague hopes to continue his playing career at Stonehill College in Easton. He will major in criminology to prepare for a possible career with the state police or a federal agency.

Anthony Joseph, Fairhaven, Junior

Finished 16-4 overall and 12-2 in the South Coast Conference playing as the Blue Devils' number-one singles player and team captain. Earned SCC All-Star honors and advanced to the second round of the State Individual Tournament. "I felt like I could depend on Anthony for a win whoever he was playing against," coach Cate James said. "I enjoyed working with him. He inspired me to be the best coach I could be in my rookie season and I'm grateful to him for that."

Chris Ouellette, Dartmouth, Junior

Went 11-9 at first singles playing against some of the best players in the state. Split against New Bedford's Damien Montague and had two close losses against Fairhaven's Anthony Joseph. Played well despite battling a case of tendinitis. "Chris has a big serve and very solid ground strokes," coach Jim McGonigle said. "Given another year of development and improved health, I have no doubt he will be the best player in the area next season."

Colin Burke & Christian Machado, Dartmouth, Seniors

Combined to finish 16-3 at first doubles with their losses coming against elite teams from Brookline and Barnstable. Did not drop a set in any other match. Advanced to the Div. 1 South Sectional quarterfinals and earned Old Colony League All-Star honors. "They had very good chemistry between them," coach Jim McGonigle said. "They complemented each other, making the team more than the sum of its parts."

Richie Hartnett, Senior, & Lyle Rosa, Junior, Westport

Both brought a lot of experience to the court and they combined for a 12-1 record that earned them Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star honors. Hartnett was tall and rangy with a strong serve, while Rosa hit the ball hard all over the court with a lot of spin on his serve. "They worked well with each other," coach Tom Clark said. "They complemented each other's games and were always there to pick each other up in tight spots."

Lucas Almeida, Dartmouth, Senior

Put together a combined record of 17-3 at second singles (7-0) and third singles (10-3). Proved to be pivotal to the Indians' success by winning the deciding point in several matches. Hustle and grit were two of his biggest strengths.

Garrett McNeill, Apponequet, Senior

Went 14-4 during the regular season and finished 14-5 overall as the Lakers' number-one singles player. Notched some big wins with a good overall game. Served the ball well and was able to move the ball all over the court.

Nick Rosa, Westport, Senior

Had a 12-4 regular-season record at first singles for the Wildcats, who earned the top seed in the Div. 3 South Sectional. Covered the court well and hit good passing shots en route to being named a Mayflower Athletic Conference All-Star.

Teamed up to put together a 10-2 record at first doubles for the Bulldogs. Read each other's game well and were always on the same page. Covered for each other and played to each other's strengths in a lot of big wins.

Tom Yeargin, Westport, Senior; Alex Machairas, Westport, Sophomore

Played well together at second doubles to help lead the Wildcats to a 15-1 regular-season record and the top seed in the Div. 3 South Sectional. Their combined skills served them well and made them tough to beat.